Improvement in concussion-fuses for shells



Unir-nn Strains ATENE* FFI lh'lPROVElfl-ENT iN CONCUSSIQN-FUSES FOR SHLLS.

*WVlllmlllllllll Pillai bl' Leiters Patent No.' 36,566, dated September lill, 15H22 antedated lo 6&7/ when@ it may concern:

Bc it known that I, XViLmiiAr XVunnLnn HUnnrnpr., of the city of Philadelphia, in the State of lcnnsylvania, have invented a new having` been iii-ed ii'roin a gun, to admit fire to explode the shell; also, in making the inetallic stein cylindrical, or else tapering larger toward the front end than at theinner end, so

-as to hear upon or against the burning composition which surrounds the stein in starting, to

[overcome its inertia in acquiring1 initial relocity with the shell in the gun; also, in constructing a head or valve circular 0r conical infori'n, and sit-ting 'or carried in the i'ront end of the metallic stein covering. the central hole in the stem, to exclude the lire, and to ily out on concussion and expose this central hole` to the action ot' the iire generated by the surrounding burning composition; also. in lining ihe inside ci" theinetallic iiaetiningsteni With plaster-ef-pari protect the central hole and the powder or primi ng it contains from excessive heat until the metallic stein lfractures or kparts on concussion; also, in combining horizontal and vertical rents in a watencap, so as' to exclude water 'freni the vertical or central vent, and thereby prevent extinguishnient oi' the'iiro oi' the burning` composition; also, in securing the watercappingl to the paper case ofthe fuse, soas to insert the 'fuse composition alud capping. into the stock oi' the fuse or into the shell-castingniost quickly in action; also, in surrouiuling` the metallic fraeturing-stein with a paper facing or wrapping of paper, to `strengtheii it at the :l'racturilxg-point and pre# ront corrosion i'toui the saltpcter, sulphur, and clnireoal, or burning composition, and allow ihe paper to lulrn awair with the coin,- posiiion and expose the metallic stein, so as t0 l'rari nre and admit the lire to explode the of the same.

shell; also,in constructingl the lracturingstein of sections of metal originally separatew1tha yneck or flange to connect them, or ol' the ineial to break or fracture and separate and 5' et with stand the concussion on ricochet, but iractnre 'frein concussion on penetration, and explode 'the' shell, and capable of graduation to explode the shell en st-riking` the ground on ricochet.

Figure l represents the sabot oi' wood, the shell, and the fuse, being` a vertical section Fig. '2 a top View of the fuse with its lead patch removed. Fig. 3 is a rertical section of a modiicd construction of the i'use, and Fig. S is a perspective view of the lnetal bush, I), or may have a wooden stock adapted to receive the paper fuse.

The paper case c contains the cylindrical coluinnol' barning,` composition (L The inside open end., 1', oi' the paper ease or the stock may he lilted with'a lead or soi`t-1netal satcty-stopper, the same as described in niy patent dated Janna ry 7, 1862. The front or outer end ot' the column of composition and of the fuse-stock are provided with a capping, g, which screws into the front end oi the central portion ol' llustocl; or of the paper case, or held to it hy i wo pins, and has a slnall central rent, Il, leading.;- irorn the composition into the horizontal vent, yi, which opensv on opposite sides, "i j, into a circular recess, 7:. lhis horizontal vent is bored through a center-piece in the iniddln nl' the circular recess lr. A lead pal ch and handle, mi, covers the watcneup and its priming', :hid is pulled Oil' when the l'use is about to he loaded with the shell. into lhe gun. This water-cap is recessed conenlly on ine inside Y. which cone-recess, termin-ul iup; iwthe central Vent, 71, accelerates the llow or esca-pe ol' gus through this central veul, lf. which is about iiiteeii-l1uinlredlihsnl`an inch in diameter, und

the horizontal vent in about oue-ienih ot an inchinliniueier, and in bored through the I composition.

at the inner end.

I center piece, and opens into the circular re- `the 'accelerated force of the gas through it exclude the water Aon ricochet of the shellon thc sea or water, and exclude the earth in the ricochet on land or penetratioirof fortificailons, and thus prevent the water and earth from interfering with the burning of the fuse rlhe central piece or horizontal vent, li, prevents the water and earthfrom acting direct on the vent 71, and this horizontal vent fi may take in water at one side, and it will pass out at the opposite side and not extinguish the fuse. The burning composition may be driven in a paper case held in a steel die, and consists of saltpeter, sulphur, and charcoal, in any well-known or any proportions to suit any desired time, several proportions being given in my patent of January 7, 1862. Any of the other well-known com pounds for burning composition may be used.

I make the fuse with a metallic fracturing tube to explode the shell or shrapnel on 'concussion in the following manner: Make a thin tube of brass or copper, 'by drawing it out or otherwise, similar to the tubes used for friction-primers, and about two-tenths of an inch in diameter outside. The tube foreach fuse is in two sections. The longest section extends from ln--thc inner end-sto the point o, where the fracturing-joint is formed7 Figs. 1 and 4. The forward end, o, of this long tube is fitted with an inside collar, 1, proj ccting about live-hundredths of an inch forward, and over this collar is rit-ted a small section, i, of the tube, ofthe same diameter as the diameter of the long section, and about a quarter of an inch Yin length. Dip the tube in a solution of shellac and dry it to seal the short onto the long section. Setthe tube in a die with the short section uppermost, and a needle similar in length and form to the central hole, q, extendingkup the center, and pour in plaster-of-paris paste until. it llsthe tube. Draw out the nee dle when the plaster has set-,and it will leave a coating of plaster-ot'paris, u, inside of the tube, with a head, p, closing the forward end and the joint o of the small section t of the tube. When the plaster is perfectly dry,wrap paper around the tube, forming it thickest or largest at the front end and tapering smaller s s is this paper covering, and' only three or four thicknesses so as to burn oil' from the tube readily. The paper may be" previouslfy.:.saturated with saltpeter. Place some fine gunpowder in the central hole, q, and seal it there witha cork, fu. After having driven the burning compositiond in the pai per Vcase c on a' tapering steel spindle, set-the paper case in a holder and rive.- it out with a half-round river, to receive the fracturingstem, Fig. 4, as shown in Fig. 1, with the largest end forward, and so that the outer paper facing shall bear against the burning composition to support it, in `which it should be sealed by a coating of a solution ot' shellac put on the paper to support the fracturing-tubcwhenthe shell starts in the gun. The paper may also be wound spirally around the metal tube, and the composition be driven around the tube, with a hollow steel drift to tit over tube, and thus firmly secure the tube in the center of the burning composition. \\"hen the shell is red with this concussion-fuse,'the composition is ignited by (puck-match, which ex'.-

tends from the recess k through the vents into the chamber Z on the composition d, and the composition burns away as the shelliiies,buru ing oft' the paper s and exposing the fracturing-joint o, so that when the shell strikes the concussion of penetration either drives out the head p by its ris incl-ria.' or breaks orf the tube at the point o and uncovers the central hole, q, exposing its gunpowder, which the :fire explodes and drives in the cork fu, or discharges the fire into the burstingcharge of the shell, which explodes it on the concussion. By reducing the projecting end of the collar r to about three-hundredths of an inch and increasing the length of the short section t of the tube to four-tenths of an inch, the fusel will be more delicate to act on concussion7 and will explode shrapnel-'shells on their striking the ground. In this case the composition used should be mealed powder down to the joint o,

to burn to it quickly, and then a piece of; quick-match be set on the slower composition' benea' h it in driving it, to make it ignite when the meal-powder has burned down to it.,

In the Figs. 3 and 8 the metallic fracturingv stem is made of castiron r', and a slight cut around at o to form the point of fracture. lt also is wapped with paper, and may be 'faced inside Withshellac and plaster-of-paris. The head p is made of lead or soft brass, eoned, and clinched or driven into secure it, and to iiy out, thesameastheplaster-of-parishead or thehead may be solid, of cast-iron, and the stem fractured at the point o by the shock of concussion or penetration.' rIhe burning composition d is driven around it with a hollow drift, sustains it in starting the shell and fuse in the gun. The principles of its action are the same as the metallic stem in Fig. 1. This castiron'stem, Figs. 3 and 8, is provided with a flange and screw on the inner end, and is screwed into'the inner end of the stock, to secure-it'centrally in position. The paper case c isset in and the composition driven between it and the fracturingstem from the forward end of the stock,and the stock for this stem is best when made of brass 'or gun-metal.

I do not claim a central stem of plaster-(3f-r paris cast into the composition and enlarged toward the inner end, as in Splingards fuse, although the central fracturing-stem of metal was invented by me as early as 1848, as said Splingards wil not ricochet, is too large, and necessarily so, and is liable topremature fracemma; Y s

, more both inmaking andinigheas itisformeo in the composition, and consists of nothing but `plasteroparie; nor a friable metallic fusestook, such as is exhibited inthe Snoeck fuse.

What I claim as my invention is l. The centralmetollic stem or {maturingtube surrounded.v by the burning composition,

so .that it' shall' withstand the heat and part at the firaotmringpoint'ouY concussion. I 1 2. The hea'p, lset in the top or front of the metallic tem or tube, so as to iy out of it and. expose the central hoe in the stem on concussioii to expode the sheli.

3. The pafste-of-paris lining inside of the metaio Stem, for the purpose deseribe.

The combined horizontal ami vertical vente in the capping, and these also in oom- Diga-tion 'with the conical or acceiemting @hamber.

5. Securing the capping by screwing it or otherwise to the front end of the paper-case fuse, so as to set the fuse readily into anyV stock already capped for service when in ztction.

6. The paper facing surrounding the me- WEL WHEELER HUBBELL. Witnesses:

JNO. H. JoHNsoN,

LAMB. 

